Black Bean Soup

Rinse and drain the black beans and put them in a large bowl. Cover them in water and let them soak for a minimum of 6 hours and up to overnight.

Rinse the beans that have been soaking. Put the rinsed, soaked beans in a large pot and cover them with water. Bring them to a low boil and skim the foam off the top of the surface of the bean water.

When the foam has been skimmed off, put the lid on the beans and turn the heat to low. Simmer the beans for about 45 minutes, or until the beans are just tender. Drain the beans of half of their cooking liquid and set aside.

In another large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and sprinkle with kosher salt. Sweat the veggies until tender, about 5-8 minutes.

Add the beans and cooking liquid to the vegetables. Add the water and simmer everything together for about 10 minutes. Add the chili powder and cumin and season to taste with cayenne and kosher salt.

Remove the soup from the heat and puree the soup partially with an immersion blender. (Alternately, you can puree about half the soup in a blender and then mix it back into the soup.) I like it to be creamy but not too smooth—still with texture. But you decide what you like best!

Adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve in bowls garnished with sour cream and a little spicy salsa, or whatever you please!